(serves 6-8 people)

Recipe from: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chocolate-recipes/vegan-chocolate-pots/

Ingredients:

• 200g good quality vegan dark chocolate
• 700g silken tofu
• 160g maple syrup
• 1tbsp vanilla bean paste / vanilla extract
• 1 large pinch salt
• Optional: Flavourings of your choice e.g. orange essence, mint extract, lime zest, chilli flakes etc.

Instructions:

1. Place a small pan over medium heat, half fill it with boiling water, then place a medium bowl on top – making sure the base doesn’t touch the surface of the water. Break the chocolate then allow it to melt, stirring occasionally.
2. Line a medium bowl with a clean tea towel or cheesecloth. Add the tofu, bunch up the cloth and squeeze out the excess moisture into the bowl.
3. Add the tofu to a food processor with the maple syrup, vanilla extract, 1 good pinch of sea salt and any extra flavourings, then blitz for 1-2 mins until smooth.
4. Add the melted chocolate and pulse until silky and combined.
5. Divide the mixture into little bowls or espresso cups and refrigerate for 15 mins to chill.
6. Serve with crumbled golden oreo cookies, lime zest, hazelnuts or any other toppings you’d like.

Recipe by Rena Shah

Ingredients:

• 500g macaroni pasta
• 1 medium cauliflower
• 4 matoke (small green bananas)
• 40-50g nutritional yeast
• 230ml oat milk
• 2 – 3 tbsp vegan butter or margarine
• 100g fresh spinach
• 10g chives
• 10-12 whole peppercorns
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and cut cauliflower into florets
2. Wash and cut the ends off the matoke. Cut them into thirds and cut a slit into the skin and halfway into the flesh to allow expansion during cooking.
3. Steam the cauliflower and matoke for 15 minutes or until soft. Leave aside to cool or run under cold water.
4. Cook the macaroni as per the packet instructions.
5. Wash and finely chop the spinach.
6. Once the vegetables have cooled, peel the matoke skin off and remove any discoloured fibres.
7. In a blender or food processor blend the vegetables, vegan butter, oat milk, nutritional yeast, salt and peppercorns. (This sauce can be used in other dishes where you want to replace a bechamel e.g. in lasagne)
8. Mix together the macaroni, sauce and spinach while the macaroni and sauce are still warm.
9. Serve with chopped chives on top.

Recipe by Ranjanben Chandaria

Makes 20 Bhatura

Ingredients:

• 450g self-raising flour
• 4 slices bread
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• Half tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• A handful of methi leaves
• Sparkling water for binding the flour

• Oil for frying

Method:

1. Dip the bread in some non fizzy water, squeeze out the excess water and mix it with all the other ingredients.
2. Use enough soda water to make a soft dough.
3. Leave aside for at least one hour.
4. Roll out puri of approx 1cm thickness and deep fry on a low heat until light brown in colour.

Serve with a chick pea curry.

Recipe provided by Nishma M. Shah

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 200g soya yoghurt (plain, unsweetened)
• 500ml water
• ½ teaspoon powdered dry roasted cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander leaves (optional)
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Pour out the soya yoghurt into a deep jug/bowl.
2. Add the water and whisk with a hand whisk.
3. Chop the coriander leaves (optional) very finely and mix them in.
4. Season the drink with dry roasted cumin powder and salt.

Makes 1 serving (multiply quantities as required)

Ingredients:

• 200 ml almond milk
• 1 tsp basil seeds (takmuria)
• 1 tsp vermicelli (faluda sev)
• 1 tbsp rose syrup
• 1 scoop vegan vanilla ice cream (e.g. Swedish Glace)

Method:

1. Soak basil seeds in approximately 30 ml cold water for at least an hour.
2. Cook vermicelli according to package instructions.
3. In a glass, add soaked basil seeds and cooked vermicelli. Add the rose syrup and almond milk.
4. Top with the scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
5. Serve immediately.

Provided by Nishma Shah

Ingredients:

• 150 ml water
• 60 ml soya milk
• 1 tsp tea leaves
• 1/4 tsp tea masala or slightly more depending on the strength of the flavour of the tea masala.

Method:

1. In a small flat bottom pan add tap water and let it simmer on medium heat.
2. Add the tea leaves and tea masala and allow the tea to masala to infuse while the water is boiling.
3. Once the infused tea leaves water comes to a boil add the soya milk and keep it in on the cooker for approximately 5 minutes. The colour should change from black to a golden brown. Add some more soya milk if you find the taste of tea too strong for your palate.
4. Use a sieve to separate the tea leaves when pouring out the tea into the cup.
5. Sit back, sip your tea and savour every moment.

Tip: You proportionally add more soya milk than you would have cow’s milk, to get a golden chai colour.

Provided by Rehma Chandaria

Makes approximately 20 penda

Ingredients:

• 150 g ground cashews
• 75 g desiccated coconut
• 175 ml plant-based milk (e.g. coconut milk or almond milk)
• 125 g sugar
• 1 flat tsp ground cardamom
• Pinch nutmeg
• Pinch saffron
• Grated almonds and pistachios for decoration

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients (except almonds and pistachios for decoration) in a large microwave-proof bowl
2. Heat in a microwave on full power (900W) for 3 minutes, then stir
3. Heat for a further 2 minutes, then stir
4. Heat for 2 more minutes, then stir
5. Heat for 1 more minute, so that mixture is thickened.
6. Use a mould to shape the penda. Top each one with grated almonds and pistachios.

Provided by Varshaben Gudka

Ingredients:

• 680g self raising flour
• 680g dairy free margarine (eg Pure or Vitalite)
• 230g sugar
• 100ml plant-based milk (eg soya milk or almond milk)
• 2 tablespoons custard powder
• desiccated  coconut and jam

Method:

1. Beat sugar and margarine in a bowl, adding custard powder gradually into the mix.
2. Add flour to the mix, adding milk 2 tablespoons at a time, till you get a cookie-dough-like consistency
3. Make little dough balls, and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees ( 350 degrees F/ Gas mark 4) for between 7 – 10 minutes, until they start to brown at the top.
4. Let the biscuits cool completely before adding the coconut and jam topping.
5. For the topping, heat some strawberry jam, so that it is easier to spread, and use it to generously coat the whole cake.
6. Dip the cake in the desiccated coconut

(Also known as ‘handvo’)

Recipe provided by Ranjanben Chandaria

Ingredients

• 500g handvo flour (ready made – available at Indian grocery shops, made from ground mixed lentils and rice)
• 125 ml fresh lime juice
• 500 ml warm water
• 3 tsp sugar
• 3 tsp salt
• ½ tsp turmeric

• 125 g grated courgette/dudhi
• A handful chopped methi leaves
• A handful chopped coriander
• 2-3 finely chopped green chillies
• 25 g (uncooked weight) rice
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Eno
• Sesame seeds for topping

Vaghar:

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped (optional, leave out if Jain)
• Quarter tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• Half tsp asafetida (hing)

Method:

1. In a big pan, make a ‘kheero’ by mixing the handvo flour, sugar, salt, turmeric, lime juice and water.
2. Leave the bowl in a warm place for approx 8-10 hours (ie overnight)
3. The next day, add the dudhi, methi, coriander, ginger, green chilies, cooked rice and one tablespoon oil to the kheero and mix thoroughly.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C, and grease an oven dish with oil.
5. In a separate saucepan, do a vaghar with 3 tablespoons oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds and asafetida (hing) and onion (if using).
6. Once the vaghar is done, add it to the keero, then add the eno and mix thoroughly.
7. Pour the kheero into the greased oven dish, and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Cook in a hot oven (220°C) for approximately 30 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 180°C and cook for a further 30 minutes, until browned. Then turn the oven off and leave the odvo inside for a while longer.
8. Take it out of the oven, cut into pieces and serve.